Car and set of molds for casting anodes direct from converters



2 SheetS -Sneet 1.

H. W. HIXON & J. A. DYBLIE. I CAR AND SET or MOLDS FOR CASTING ANODESDIRECT FROM CONVERTERS.

No. 539,270. Patent ed May 14, 1895.

(No Model.)

(No Model.) v 2 SheetsSheei; 2.

I H. W. HIXON & J. A. DYBLIE.

7 CAR AND SET OF MOLDS FOR CASTING ANODES DIRECT PROM CONVERTERS.

,NQ. 539,270. Patented May 14, 1895 UNITED Srarns PATE mace.

HIRAM W. HIXON AND JULIUS A. DYBLIE, on ANACONDA, MONTANA;

CAR AND S ET OF MOLDS FOR CASTING ANODES DIRECT FROM CONVERTERS.

srncrrrcnrrorv forming part of were intent macaw, dated May 14, 1895.Application filed September 10,1894=. Serial No. 522,614. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, HIRAM W; HIXON and JULIUS A. DYBLIE, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Anaconda, in the county of Deer Lodge andState of Montana, have in vented certain new and useful Improvementssists substantially in such features thereof as will hereinafter be moreparticularly set forth.

It has been proposed heretofore in the cast-' ing of ingots to provide acombined mold-cage and ladle, the cage being provided with a series ofvertical molds, and the ladle having a number of stoppers correspondingto the" molds, and the combined device being so suspended as to be swunginto position beneath an adjacent converter for receiving the moltenmetal therefrom, and then be carried over and deposited upon a car, thestoppers'being then or previously raised or opened to permitthe moltenmetal to flow through openings inthe bottom of the ladle into theseveral molds by which the ingots are formed. In the par ticular plantreferred to, the molds are open at their lower ends and are providedwith movable bottoms, so that after the ingots have become hardened orcooled they are ejected from the molds after sliding or moving thebottoms to one side;-whereupon the car is carried or moved to the properplace of deposit of the ingots, the combined cage and ladle having beenpreviously lifted, and the operation is carried on continuously, inthat, during the refitting of one set of devices'and car, aduplicatesetis being operated with in the manner explained. In another formerinstance, it has been proposed to provide an endless traveling chain ofmolds receiving the molten metal from the converter, and depositing theingots in a cooled or hardened condition into or upon a car arrangedupon a track at some distance'from the converter, the said endlesstraveling chain of molds being passed through a tank containing acooling liquid and arranged at an intermediate point between theconverter and'the car. In still another instance, a number of molds havebeen i pivotally support'ed upon a car in such manner that the rnoldscan be swung over into a position beneath the converter for receivingthe molten metal, and then the molds are restoredt'o a verticalposition, and the car moved folf to the proper locality for thesubsequent working or treatment of the ingots.

With each of the former instances above referred, to, the plants areopen to a great many objections and disadvantages, and they arenecessarily expensive in their-construction and handling, very oftenrequiring a great many hands or workmen to manipulate the same. IBesides, considerable time is frequently'lost, much material wasted, andthere is considerable danger andrisk encountered by the employs oroperators while performing the work of melting and filling the molds.Furthermore, with the said former constructions,'owing to the shrinkageof the metal on cooling, the molds can not be. completely filled so asto produce perfect ingots, and even though many attempts have been madeto obviate such difficulty, it has never heretofor'e been thoroughlyaccomplished owing to the fact that in most instances the molds areprovided with some form of cover having inlets, which'covers, no matterhow constructed never permit the molds to be refilled without greatlabor and difficulty.

: The, objects of the present invention are to overcome allof theobjections to the former constructions referred to, and to provide meansfor casting anodes perfectly smooth in shape and requiring practicallyno subsequent operation or treatment for that purpose.

' A further object of the invention is to ob- Viate remelting and tocast or produce anodes direct from the converter, thereby effecting agreat saving in the production of anodes for electrolytical purposes;

A still further object of the invention is to furnish a plant'forcasting anodes, thatis comparatively simple in construction requiringbut little or no skill to operate, and producing the most desirableresults in the molding of electrolytic metals.

'lhe aboveobjects we attain by the means illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings,

wherein Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a car with the wheels ofthe obverse side removed and the series of vertical molds resorted to inthe practice of our invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view ofFig. 1 withthe molds and car-platform rcmoved,showing the constructionandarrangement of the gearing and differential rollers by which thecar-platform is moved or carried outward transversely to the main frame,so as to bring the vertical molds successively beneath the converter,from which aconstant stream of molten metal is caused or permitted toflow during the molding operation. Fig. 3 is a top or plan view of theseries of vertical molds, and shows, also, the means for allowing forthe expansion of the molds. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the car,showing the wheels therefor, together with the longitudinalsupporting-frame, in section, the series of vertical molds being alsoshown in transverse section,and the movable platform of the car beingrepresented as moved outward toa limited extent. Fig. 5 is a view inperspective representing the form or construction of a singlemold-section. Fig. 6 is a part longitudinal sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 7, indicating the mold-sections as being open and beveled fora short distance only at the center, a suitable hopper being alsorepresented, as well as top plates, which cover the mold-sections onopposite sides of the said open beveled portions. Fig. 7 is a transversesectional view on the line 7 7 of the preceding figure.

We will first describe the construction of the molds, then theconstruction and operation of the car, and finally the means foroperating the car and'the nesting or arrangement of the molds upon themovable platform of the car.

The molds are so constructed that the back of one mold section forms orconstitutes the face of the mold section next to it, by whichconstruction we attain great economy of space, besides obtaining thedesired form of anode and enabling us to readily re-assemble the moldsections after they have been separated for the purpose of removing theanodes therefrom. In describing the said molds, for the purpose ofclearness, reference is made to Fig. 5, wherein it will be seen thateach mold section is formed or constituted of a plate 1, of properdimensions or size, formed at each end with a lateral verticalprojection 2, the upper edge of the plate being projected somewhat abovethe upper ends of the lateral projections as shown. in Fig. l at 3, eachside of said projecting portion 3, being beveled at {1, so that when themold sections are assembled together in vertical series, they willpresent flaring months at the top or upper ends, which construction isresorted to for the purpose of preventing the stream of metal fromsplashing or going into more than one mold at a time as the said moldsare successively presented to the stream as it fiows fromthe converter.No converter has been herein represented or shown, but it will be ofcourse understood that any well known form is employed, and which issuspended at a suitable height to enable the same to be manipulatedduring the operation of filling.

In addition to the construction above men tioned, each mold section isformed or provided at the bottom with a longitudinal flange 0c, and ateach end with a projecting bearing 6, notched at 7 for the reception andaccommodation of a rod 8, which rods also pass through openings (notshown) formed near the ends of handle bars 10, 10 arranged on oppositesides of the series of molds, and extending lengthwise of thelatter. Therods 8, 8 are screw threaded at their ends and are provided with nuts 11and 12, the tightening up of which serves to maintain the molds closelynested together andin position, and for the purpose of allowing for theexpansion of the mold sections when the molten metal is poured therein,we supply one end of each of the rods 8, 8 with a spring 12', exertingits pressure or strength between the nut 12 of the rod and the adjacenthandle bar 10. We preferably form the projecting bearings 6, 6 of therods 8 at a point about midway of the height of the molds, since theeffect is more equal as is apparent. The handle bars 10 are eachprovided with projecting portions 15 by which the series of molds can bereadily lifted from the platform of the car by means of an ordinarycrane for the purpose.

As will be seen the mold sections are securely and compactly maintainedin their proper relative positions, and it will further be seen thatasthe metal cools down in the molds during the filling operation theseries of molds can very quickly and readily be passed beneath theconverter as many times as may be necessary to build the anode up to orflush with the upper edges of the molds. In this way anodes of equalsizes are obtained, and no dressing or subsequent treatment of them isnecessary beyond simply shearing oil the rough edges at the top in anysuitable manner.

In order to provide or form the anodes with projecting portions toconstitute a means of suspending the same in the electrolytic cell weform the molds at one end with the rounded or curved projections 17, seeFig. 1, the vertical lateral projections 2 at this end of the moldsbeing correspondingly shaped in conformity. It is obvious that by meansof such construction of molds the anodes when formed will be providedwith corresponding projecting portions which may be punched withsuitable holes, or cast with projecting lugs as a common means ofsuspension, when placed in a cell.

As shown in the modification, instead of beveling or flaring the upperedges of the molds for the entire length thereof, we in some instancessimply bevel them for a short distance intermediate of their ends, asseen at 50; and also we sometimes employ a suitto serve as a coveragainst which the copper. will rise and chill, and thus making perfectanodes at one operation.

The car upon which the series of molds rest is'constructed of twolongitudinal angle beams 18, 18, connected togetherat near the.

ends by strengthening cross rods 19, 19, and provided at each end'with abearing box or plate 20 for the shafts 21,21, which carry the supportingwheels 22 which latter. are flanged in the usual manner to fit uponrails, 23. Extending transversely of the longitudinal side beams 18, 18and supported thereby is a pair of double or box rails indicated at 25,25, which rails are sunken or depressed for the portions thereof betweenthe side beams, so that when the platform of the car is moved, therewill be no frictional contact between thedifferential rolls (to beexplained) and the bottoms of said double or box rails. At the sametime, however, when the platform is in place upon the car the said rollsare supported on the ends of the rails which rest on the side beams.Located transversely of the said double rails, and extending lengthwiseof the side beams is a shaft 30 supported in suitable bearings 31, 31,secured to the tops of the double rails, the said shaft being providedcentrally with a fast pinion 32. Also extending transversely of thedouble rails and resting upon the upper surfaces thereof are two rollers33, 33 on opposite sides of the central shaft 30, and the ends of thesaid roll-' ers 33, 33 are connected by links 35, 35, thus constitutingpractically a movable roller.

frame. The said rollers 33 are also provided at near each end with anindependent (liftercntial roll 37, which as will be observed passesbetween the double rails 25 without reaching to the bases thereofexcept, as hereinbefore stated, when the platform is back in place. Theplatform of the car is indicated at 40, and as shown is formed on itsunder side with a rack 42 (see Fig. 1) which engages with the pinion 32.The platform is also formed on each side of the rack with double guideflanges 43 between each pair of which the rollers 37 are received. Inthis way it will be observed that by means of the difierential rollersemployed, the platform of the car can be quickly moved outward andreturned, with the least amount of friction, and that it requires theseveral rollers to travel but a short distance to cause the platform tobe projected out the required distance for enabling the molds to befilled with the molten metal. The construction and arrangement are suchthat the platform can be moved back and forth very easily, therebyrendering it possible to bring any particular one of the molds instantlybeneath the stream of metal. In operation, the platform of the car iscarried directly by the rollers 37, while the latter are supported bymeans of the longer rollers 33, which latter.

turn or move'upon the rails 25 as hereinbefore mentioned, and it will beat once seen that the effect is such as has been stated.

Asa means of moving the platform, we form lugs 50 on the forward end ofthe shaft 30, and between these lugs is pivoted a tongue 51 providedwith a handle or wheel52, and it will be seen that the whole contrivancecan be readily moved by turning the said tongue through the-medium ofsaid handle or wheel. The main car is easily moved forward and backwardwith a common pinch bar or wheel clamp bar.

From the foregoing remarks, it is thought the construction and operationof our invention will be fully understood,and it is obvious thatimmaterial changes could be resorted to in the details of constructionand arrangement of the several parts and still be within the scope ofour invention.

Therefore, without limiting ourselves to the precise details hereinshown and described, we claim- 1. A car provided with transverse railsacross its main wheel frame, a platform movable in the direction of saidrails, and a series of mold sections mounted or supported upon saidplatform and constituting molds, substantially as described.

2. A car provided with rails extending transversely of the main wheelframe, a platform movable in the direction of said transverse rails,means foroperating said platform back and forth, and a series of moldsmounted or supported upon said platform, substantially as described.

3. A car provided with double box rails extending transversely of themain wheel frame, a differential roller frame supported by the rails,and a pinion, a platform movable in the direction of said rails andformed'on its under side with a rack and guides, and a series of moldssupported by said platform, substantially as described.

4. A car, provided with transverse rails across its main wheel frame, aplatform movable in the direction of said rails and supported thereon,'a series of mold sections on the platform, and side bars together withrods and springs for holding said mold sections together, substantiallyas shown and for the purpose set forth. 7

5. The combination of a car having'a platform, movable transversely tothe direction in which the car travels and a series of mold sectionsnested on said platform and having their upper edges beveled to produceflaring mouths, said mold sections being each formed or constructed ateach end and bottom with a flange abutting against the back of the nextadjacent mold section, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a car having a platform, movable transversely tothe direction in which the car travels means for operating saidplatform, and a series of mold sections nested on the platform andhaving their upper edges beveled to produce flaring months, said moldsections being each formed or constructed at each end and bottom with alateral flange abutting against the back of the next adjacent moldsection, substantially as described.

7. The combination of a car having a platform, movable transversely tothe direction in which the car travels means for operating saidplatform, a series of vertical mold sections nested together on theplatform, means for securing or maintaining the mold section in positionon the platform, and yielding elastic devices for said mold sections,substantially as described.

8. The car formed or constructed with the side bars and wheels, thetransverse double rails supported upon the side bars, the central shaftcarrying the pinion, the rollers extending across the rails and bearingupon the HIRAM W. HIXON. JULIUS A. DYBLIE. Witnesses:

.TNo. R. EARDLEY, T. D. FITZGERALD.

